Should I be concerned?

Finch Fry · Post by **Finch Fry** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 1:16 pm

I seem to be posting 2 or 3 times a day in this breeding section but I have so many darn questions. Thanks everyone for being patient with all of my beginer questions.

So next question is...

Both of my finches (Zeb) sleep in the nest on top of 7 eggs (about 1 week incubation now). Recently, Fry has been kicking Leela out of the nest and he is wanting to sit on the eggs. When she is sitting on the eggs, fry will come in, and basically sit on top of leela (there is plenty of room for him to sit beside her. But he sits on her, she makes very low cries as if saying, get the heck off my head you pain in the neck. Occasionally, fry will pick at her face or head and she just flies out and lets him incubate the eggs. Over the past 2 days, i have seen Leela more and more out and about eating egg food and egg shells and just chilling while Fry has been doing most of the incubating.. and he is aggressive about it too, as i explained above. He got aggressive about a day or 2 after Leela laid the 7th and final egg.

Is this normal? Do they need to be seperated. I have a 2nd cage i was planning to use for the babies when they are weened. But.... should i toss Fry in there? I would assume Leela is gonna need breaks at least once and a while.

franny · Post by **franny** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 4:38 pm

It sounds to me as if they may already have settled the matter, if she's spending more time out than in the nest. It doesn't really matter who incubates, as long as someone does. Nice to see a "man" take some of the responsibility!

If he's not seriously being agressive, just wanting to sit, then let him!

FinchMommy · Post by **FinchMommy** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 8:29 pm

Sounds like mine! My eggs have hatched, but now that there are babies, the male is in the nest way more than the female. And he's more protective of the babies too. If she's in there, she'll let you have a look, but he's right down on those babies. I'd just keep an eye pn the situation just to be safe.

mickp · Post by **mickp** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 8:58 pm

keep a close eye on him when/if the eggs hatch. he may be aggressive toward any young especially once they start to get feathers. hopefully he isnt and becomes a great dad finch

Finch Fry · Post by **Finch Fry** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 11:32 pm

All is well tonight. Fry is not messing with Leela. She seems to have just accepted that he is gonna sit and she is out and about stretching her legs after dropping 7 eggs!!!